Thirty Good Years
by keliz2005
Summary: She has dreaded this day’s coming for so long. She watches him move about the ship, saying goodbye to his beloved Pearl one last time. Last in 'Strength in Numbers'. JE. Complete.
1. Thirty Good Years

Disclaimer: Do people even read these things? I mean really? Oh, alright. I don't own Pirates, Disney does. There, I said it. Are you happy?

A/N: So, this is the final piece of the 'Strength in Numbers' puzzle. You'll also notice it's a two parter. I had planned on making this another one shot, but it ended up being much, much longer that my other ones, so I changed the last bit into an Epilogue of sorts. Hope you enjoy it, and please review. Now on with the story…

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**Thirty Good Years**

She has dreaded this day's coming for so long. She watches him move about the ship, saying goodbye to his beloved Pearl one last time. His movements are cautious and slow. His hands caress the wood with the touch she is intimately familiar with. He gazes longingly at sections he cannot reach, soaking it all in, as if he didn't have every detail of her memorized by now. He's scared he'll forget her. She knows that not possible. He turns his head toward the helm. Recognising the look, she steps forward to take his arm, but Joey is there first.

Her sweet little Joey, he's all grown up. It seems like only yesterday she welcomed him into this world. The closer it came to the baby's arrival, the closer Jack had wanted to be to the coast, in case she had needed a doctor. Only, the crew hadn't been too happy with it. With only one month left in her pregnancy, she had gotten sick of his hovering and the crew's whining. She demanded they dock in Tortuga and find a doctor willing to come on the ship. They had needed one anyway, in her mind. And if she got to yell in the process, who was she to complain. Doctor Edwards proved to be the most competent and efficient one available. As soon as he was onboard, the Black Pearl set sail looking for an adventure. It made the crew happy, and kept Jack from smothering her. They'd raided and pillaged to their hearts content, while she was laid up in bed, doctor's and captain's orders. She had begun to regret having Edwards around. She'd wanted to out there, fighting along side everyone.

A week before the baby was due, after an especially lucrative raid on a merchant ship loaded down with gold and jewels that was bound for England, she'd managed to convince Edwards to let her out of bed. A party was in full swing on deck, and she wanted celebrate with the crew. Some people had gotten out their instruments and were regaling the rest with their off key music. Pintel had taken requests to sing, and rum was flowing steadily into every mug. She'd looked around to find Jack, but she hadn't seen him. She'd turned when she heard Gibbs come up behind her.

"Here ye go, miss. Got ye a stool."

She'd smiled. "Thank you, Gibbs."

He'd grinned back. "Its probably best ye be off yer feet, like Doc says."

She'd sighed with relieve as she sat down. "I must admit my feet were beginning to get sore."

Someone across deck had called out Gibbs' name. "It won't be long now, though," he'd said as he moved off.

She'd sat there most of the night, listening to the crazy songs and even crazier stories the crew told each other. The stories about the battles against Davy Jones and the East India Trading Company had seemed the most embellished, since most on the Pearl then hadn't been around during those days. She'd laughed at Pintel and Ragetti's recounting of the days as moonlit skeletons, searching for the last piece of Aztec treasure to end their curse. When they got to the point where she had entered the story, she'd heard someone walk up beside her. Turned she'd seen Jack for the first time that night. He'd set another stool down next to hers and perched himself on it.

"You've missed all the fun. Where have you been?" she'd asked.

"Below deck," he'd answered curtly.

Her head had turned from the display in front of her to him. She'd noticed a few new rings on his hands. "Below deck doing what?"

He'd coughed. "Tell me, my dear, just what are ye doin out of yer bed? Did the Doc not order ye to bed rest? And did I not give ye the same order?" he'd responded.

"Number one, Captain Sparrow, you, nor anyone else can or will order me around. You can ask me what it is you want me to do, and I alone will decided whether or not I answer your request. Number two; Doctor Edwards gave his approval when I decided to get out of bed to join the festivities. And Number three," she paused, "what were you doing below deck?"

He'd frowned. "I didn't distract ye at all, did I?"

"Not one bit, so tell me."

Turning his head back to the others dancing, he had suddenly looked serious. "I'll tell ye later."

She'd known that was all she was going to get out of him. Dropping the subject, she'd turned back to the crowd. A cool breeze blew over the deck and she'd shivered. His arm had come up around her, pulling her closer. She'd leaned her head on his shoulder as Pintel started up _A Pirates Life for Me_.

She turned her head to look at him. "You taught them the song."

He smiled and looked at her. "Course I did, love."

She'd started to smile back when a pain had suddenly travelled through her. She'd gripped her stomach when another wave crashed over her. She'd been too engrossed with the pain; she'd hardly even noticed when Jack and Dr. Edwards had brought her back to bed. She'd had no idea what was happening. She remembers is hearing the doctor and Jack talking about her water breaking.

"Wha, what's going on? Is it the baby?" she'd called out. Jack had come swiftly to her side, the doctor close behind.

"Yes, darlin. The baby's comin."

She'll never forget the pain she'd felt that night. No amount of stories she'd heard from the maids in Port Royal could ever had prepared her for it. But every last moment had been worth it to hold her precious child in her arms. Edwards had deemed him a healthy baby boy, and left him in her care. When he'd opened the cabin door, half the crew had been waiting outside, Jack included. Edwards had kicked him out of the room hours before. She'd heard Jack ask the doc if he could go in.

"It's alright, he can come in," she called. When Jack appeared in the doorway, she'd added, "Only if he behaves."

He moved cautiously to the bedside. "When have ye ever known me to misbehave?" he'd asked, a smirk firmly planted on his face.

She'd narrowed her eyes. "Do you have thirty years? Because it might take that long to tell you."

His expression had softened. "I'll give ye all the time in the world."

She'd surprised herself and Jack when she'd started to cry. She'd furiously tried to wipe at the tears with her free hand, but it was difficult to do with a newborn in her arms. Jack had knelt down by her side then and wiped her tears with the tips of his fingers.

"Never known you to be so emotional, love," he'd said with a teasing smile.

"Having a baby will do that to you, I hear."

It was then that Jack's focus had shifted from her to the enfant. She'd watched him as he looked at her son for the first time. She hadn't been able to read his face.

"What's his name?"

She'd glanced down at her son before looking back at him. "I was hoping you would tell me."

Jack's gaze had come back to her. "What?"

Smiling, she'd looked at the man who had always been there for her when she'd needed him the most. "I want my son to have something special that comes from all his parents. William and I gave this precious little boy his life," she'd paused to gather her strength. "I want you to give him his name."

To say Jack had been shocked would have never done that moment justice. For the first time in his life, most likely, he'd been near speechless.

"Love, I…I don't think ye-"

"Yes I do. He's yours to name, Jack. He's my son, and he's a Turner. I want him to have a piece of you." She'd held out the baby towards him. Gently, Jack had taken him from her arms and into his. He'd stood up from the bed and started to pace around the room, staring at the boy in his arms. Watching him move back and forth across the cabin had lured her to sleep. When she'd awoken hours later, she'd found Jack sitting on the corner of the bed still holding the baby.

"Joseph Jacob."

"What?" She'd still been a little groggy from sleeping.

"His name. I've named him Joseph Jacob, if that's alright with ye, love." He'd handed her newly named son over to her. "I think he's hungry. I'll leave ye to it." He'd gotten up to leave. When he'd opened he door, she'd called to him.

"Jack?"

"Aye?"

"Why Joseph Jacob?"

"They were me brothers' names." He'd turned to go, but stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot." He had come back to her side while pulling something out of his pocket. "This is for ye." He'd held out to her a beautiful black necklace. Hanging from it was a round flawless black pearl.

"Oh my…Jack…" It'd been her turn to be speechless.

"I found it in one of the chests we grabbed from the ship yesterday." He'd held out his left hand to give her the necklace. She'd seen, on his third finger, a silver ring and set in the centre was another flawless black pearl.

"You've got the matching ring, I see."

He'd pulled his hand back and turned the ring around on his hand. "Uh, aye, I did. I, uh, would have given it to ye, but it would be too big, so I thought I'd wear it instead of letting one of the crew take it." He'd straightened his back and gazed at her and Joey. "Not just anyone can have a black pearl, ye know. Takes someone special to have one."

"Yes, it does."

She remembers the weeks and months that followed. Little Joey and Jack had been almost inseparable. When Joey's first word was 'papa' she could have sworn she'd seen tears in Jack eyes.

But as Joey got older, so did everyone else. Now Joey was almost thirty. She was in her fifties, and Jack…

"I can do it meself, ye know. I'm not dead yet." Her mind snapped back to the present to see Joey and Jack still at the stairs.

"You haven't made it up these stairs on your own for years. What makes you think you can do it now?"

"That smart mouth of yours is gonna get you into lots of trouble one day, boy. Get use to bein slapped. Women like to do that," he said as he let Joey help him up to the helm.

"Who says that it hasn't happened already?"

She follows behind Jack's slow gait. He lets go of Joey's arm when they reach the wheel. Standing there, proud and tall, she can see the man that saved her life so many years ago, the pirate that risked his own freedom to rescue her from the bottom of the harbour, not the frail old man that can barely walk from one end of his ship to the other without having to stop and rest.

It had been hard on him when he realised he could no longer run the Pearl like he used to. But instead of brooding about it like she'd presumed he would, he'd seemed resigned to his fate. For a while now he'd been secretive, locked up in their cabin looking over old maps and charts. When he revealed what he was planning to her and Joey, she'd nearly fallen off of her chair. Of all the things she had thought he could have been up to, planning on leaving the Pearl was not one of them. He'd long since entrusted Joey to do most of the actual captaining without the title, but he'd decided to pass even that on to their son. She'd questioned him about his intentions after Joey had left them alone.

"You're Captain Jack Sparrow. You don't abandon your ship."

"I did before, didn't I? And I'm not abandoning it. Joey's been a fine captain these past few years. With me gone he'll have the title to go with it."

"But why leave? He's not going to dump you overboard now that he's in change."

"Joey will never truly be captain with me on board, love. You know that. He'll been in here asking me questions left and right. It's the captain's job to make the decisions without second-guessing himself. He's got to learn to do it on his own. And that means I can't stay. You on the other hand…" he trailed off.

She'd moved around the table to his side. "Do not think for a moment I won't go with you."

So here they were. The Black Pearl had docked in Tortuga and she and Jack were about to disembark. Jack's and her belongings had been taken down the gangplank minutes before. All that was left to do was to leave them.

She stepped to Jack's side. His hands were each wrapped around the wooden spokes, and he was staring off into the horizon. She reached a hand up and put it on his.

"Jack?"

He turned to look it her. His eyes held so many emotions. Sorrow, fear, anger, and defeat had travelled through their depths before they finally settled on acceptance. He smiled at her weakly.

"Time to go, love."


	2. Epilogue

Disclaimer: See the first chapter.

A/N: Ok, this is it. The end. Thank you to everyone that took the time to read and review my little story. I'm sorry for any spelling or grammer mistakes. Also, I apologise for the pitiful love scene. I can't write them, so that is why its so short. Also, since Jack is old, I don't think it would last that long anyway…lol.

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**Thirty Good Years: Epilogue**

They'd settled in a small house outside of Tortuga, far enough away from the revelry so they'd be left alone, but still close enough to go into town when they wanted to. The house was hidden among the trees, but close to the shoreline. Each day Jack would walk down to the beach. She'd go down and sit with him under the trees from time to time, but she left him alone most days. She knew he missed his ship tremendously. Joey returned to Tortuga as much as he could, but each time Jack would tell him that the Black Pearl and her crew needed to keep moving or they would be caught. His visits had become less and less frequent. The last time he'd left they'd been headed east to Singapore. She didn't know when he'd be back.

The years they'd spent here hadn't been easy. Jack had gotten sick two years before and had never gotten over it. His already elderly body had begun to deteriorate. She was almost afraid to let him go down to the shore alone.

But his spirits were always high considering they were on land. She'd wake up each day to the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen. She'd lie in bed until he came in to wake her up. She'd pretend to be asleep, and he'd pretend he didn't know she was really awake. He'd sit on the bed and tell the most uproarious stories he could think of in order to make her laugh, proving she'd been awake the whole time. They'd sit together at the kitchen table, quietly eating their breakfast. When they'd finish he'd help her clean up. He'd kiss her cheek when they were done, before whispering his love and stepping out the door. She'd do some chores around the house after he left. If she needed to, she'd go into town for provisions. She had made a few friends since moving in, and she visit with them is she had the chance. She'd then head back home. By then it was time to start supper. She'd have it ready for just after sunset, when Jack would come back in the door. They'd eat while she talked about her day. She'd get the gossip while she was in town visiting, and Jack always loved to here the details. After eating, they'd clean up the dishes and go to bed. She supposed it seemed boring compared to the lives they had led as pirates sailing the seven seas, but it was theirs, and know one could take it from them.

She woke up one morning and was somewhat surprised to see Jack sitting on the end of the bed, watching her. While that wasn't surprising, the fact that she didn't smell breakfast was.

"What-?" she'd started to ask before he cut her off.

"Put this on and come cook breakfast with me." He held out her black pearl necklace.

She had no idea what he was up to, but she didn't questioned him. So she put on the necklace and went into the kitchen to help prepare the food. After they'd finished eating, she went to clean up, but he grabbed her hand before she reached the dishes.

"Leave it."

"What's going on, Jack?"

"Come with me to the beach today." He held out his hand for her to take.

She carefully place her hand in his.

They slowly made their way down the well beaten path to the soft white sandy shores. Jack led her down the beach to the spot he had commandeered the day they moved in. It was a shaded place, under the trees. Jack had picked it because the roots of a tree were sticking out of the ground high enough for him to sit on by himself. But instead of walking into the shade, he stopped.

"Can ye help me sit down, love. I don't think I can do this on me own."

She slowly helped him sit on the sand before joining him herself.

"Jack, what is this about?"

He sighed. "Darlin, we've been together a long time. We're peas in a pod, you an I. I always knew that ye were a pirate at heart, even when ye were paradin around in those frilly dresses. And ye have taught me how to be the good man ye said I was. I've lived the life I wanted from the moment I became a pirate. Ye gave me what I needed. Ye gave me Joey. He may not be of me blood, but he's as much mine as he's yers.

Me compass never worked right after meetin ye. Would spin around in circles whenever I touch it. Just like me heart was doin whenever I saw ye. Had me all tied up in knots, love. I left ye with William after the business in Singapore cause I thought it was what ye needed. The minute I heard he was dead I looked in the compass. I turned the ship around and came straight to ye.

I've loved ye a very long time, but the first moment I admitted it to meself was on those docks in Port Royal when I came to get ye. Ye were sittin on a crate watchin the horizon, and all I could do was watch ye."

The tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. He reached up and wiped them with his fingers.

"The Black Pearl is just a ship. That's why I was able to give her up. She isn't freedom for me anymore, love, ye are. Ye give me freedom to be just Jack, a man who loves his woman." He paused and looked out to sea. "I've lived a long time, love. Longer than I ever thought I would. Pirates don't die of old age. They die where they belong, on a ship at sea. And captains go down with their ships. I've done that already. I don't' plan on doin it again. It's not where I belong anymore, ye see. I belong right here, with ye."

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Jack, what- why are you saying all this? Why now?"

"I'm dyin, love. I can feel it in me bones."

She through her arms around his neck. "No, Jack. Not yet. Please not yet," she begged into his shoulder. His arms came up around her, holding her with a strength she hadn't felt from him in years. She felt his lips on her neck.

"Shuhh, love. It's alright," he whispered into her ear. His gentle touch and soothing words comforted her, but it wasn't enough.

She pulled back from his embrace. "Make love to me, Jack."

It wasn't the fiery, passion-filled displays they'd had when they were younger, but it was no less tender. Lying in each others arms afterwards, she listened to the sounds of the surf while his hand stroked through her hair. She was still reeling from his revelation, but she'd seen the signs coming for a long time. His body had been slowly shutting down since he'd been sick. She'd been denying anything was truly wrong for months now.

"How long?" She didn't bother to elaborate. He knew what she was asking.

"Not long. Anytime."

She tightened her arms around his body and buried her face in his neck, tears coming to her eyes again. "I don't want you to leave me."

"I'm old, darlin. I've cheated death once. I don't think I can do it again."

He pulled his hand out of her hair and held it up. His black pearl ring on his finger still radiant after all these years. His other hand came up to her neck, grazing her necklace. "I was digging through the plunder lookin for something for ye when I found these. They were in a box, buried at the bottom of a chest. I knew right away I'd found what I was lookin for. I was goin ta leave the ring cause I knew it would be to big for ye. But I recognized them for what they were, a matching set. So I took the ring for meself and gave ye the necklace. They shouldn't be separated." He paused and turned to look her in the eye. "I want ye to take the ring, when I'm gone. Will ye do that, love?"

Unsteadily, she answered, "Yes."

She didn't remember falling asleep, but the sun was starting to set when she opened her eyes. They'd slept the day away. Jack's arms were still around her. She sat up.

"Jack," she said. Nothing happened. "Jack," she tried louder, shaking him lightly. Still no reaction. She started to yell. "Jack, wake up! Jack! Jack!" Panicking, she placed her ear over his heart. It was silent. He was dead. Her arms clasped at him as she wept into his shoulder. "Oh, Jack." The sun had long since gone down and darkness had fallen before she raised her head from the body. She carefully lifted his hand, and slipped the ring from his finger and slowly placed his hand back down.

She commandeered a small but sturdy ship in Tortuga and sailed out into the open sea. Once she was sure there were no ships near her, she pushed his coffin overboard.

"I hope the sea is kind to you, Jack. May you find your way back to your brothers." She stood and watched the coffin float away until she could no longer see it. She stood there on her stolen ship in middle of the sea, looking down at her left hand and the ring on her third finger.


End file.
